Influence of Jacking Oil Grooves in Two-Lobe Bearings

Influence of Jacking Oil Grooves in Two-
Lobe Bearings on Bearing Performance

Dr. Henning Ressing, Philipp Köster,
Dr. Kai Ziegler, MAN Diesel & Turbo SE
Dr. Martin Conlon, Dr. Azzedine Dadouche
National Research Council Canada
David Evans, Dan Turton
Waukesha Bearings Ltd.
MAN Diesel & Turbo Author Current topic  00.00.2012 < 1 >
Authors
 Dr. Henning Ressing studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Siegen, Germany and received his Ph.D. from The University of British
Columbia, Canada focusing on crack identification in rotating machinery. He then spend time at AUDI in Ingolstadt, Germany working as an
engine development engineer. In 2006 he joined MAN Diesel & Turbo in Oberhausen, Germany as a specialist for compressor rotordynamics and
structural mechanics and is now heading the department for Calculation and R&D Compressors.
 Philipp Köster studied mechanical Engineering at the University of Siegen, Germany. After receiving his diploma in 2006 he focused his
research on the simulation of short crack propagation. He joined MAN Diesel & Turbo in Oberhausen, Germany as a development engineer in the
department for Calculation and R&D Compressors in 2011. Since then he has worked on R&D projects in the field of structural mechanics and
rotordynamics of turbo compressors.
 Dr. Kai U. Ziegler received his Dr.-Ing. degree from RWTH Aachen, Germany focusing on turbomachinery aerodynamics. He then joined MTU in
Munich as a development engineer for aero engines before moving on to MAN Diesel & Turbo in Oberhausen, Germany in 2005, where he
became the Head of Calculation / R&D Compressors. As Vice President Engineering Compressors he now oversees all engineering activities for
compressor technology in MAN Diesel & Turbos’s Business Unit Process Industry.
 Dr. Martin J. Conlon studied Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Carleton University, focusing on the nonlinear dynamics of
mechanical/fluid systems. He joined the National Research Council Canada in 2007 and has since focused his research on the experimental
evaluation of aerodynamic and hydrodynamic bearing performance.
 Dr. Azzedine Dadouche is an associate research officer at the National Research Council Canada (NRC). He obtained his Master and Ph.D. in
mechanical engineering from the University of Poitiers in 1995 and 1998 respectively. Before joining NRC in 2004, he taught at the University of
Science and Technology of Oran (Algeria) and worked as a design engineer in Quebec. His research focus is on rotating components health
management and rotor support systems performance evaluation.
 David Evans is a Principal Engineer at Waukesha Bearings Ltd, located in Middlesex, United Kingdom. Mr. Evans serves some of Waukesha’s
European customers and is responsible for the design and specification of hydrodynamic bearings for turbomachinery and also oversees the
development of the company’s in-house engineering software. He joined the Glacier Metal Company in 1977 to work on the application of fixed
profile bearings to rotating plant, transferring to Waukesha Bearings in 2001. Mr. Evans graduated from Clare College, Cambridge in 1973 and
worked at GEC Mechanical Handling from 1973 to 1977.
 Dan Turton is a Senior Project Engineer at Waukesha Bearings Ltd, located in Middlesex, United Kingdom. Mr. Turton serves some of
Waukesha’s European customers and is responsible for the design and specification of hydrodynamic bearings for turbomachinery including
those for land based power generation, subsea and research and development applications. Mr. Turton joined Waukesha Bearings in 2007. Mr.
Turton received his Bachelor’s of Engineering in 1992 from the University of Hull and is a member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.
MAN Diesel & Turbo Ressing, Köster / IKC Influence of Jacking Oil Grooves on Bearing Performance  15.03.2013 < 2 >
Disclaimer
All data provided on the following slides is for information

purposes only, explicitly non-binding and subject to changes
without further notice.
Introduction
Layout of MAN Diesel & Turbo ASU-train
Train capacity = 3500 tpd O2

Train power = 74 MW
Machine package mass = 430 t
Steam Booster Air
Main Air Turbine (ST) Compressor (BAC)
Compressor (MAC)
Cooler
World wide 12 references, some of which have been running for more than 5 years.
Introduction
Design of Axial/Radial Main Air Compressor
2 radial stages 10 axial stages Veff = 650 000 m3/h

pin = 1 bara
pout = 8.5 bara
axial inlet
journal bearing
drive end
journal bearing
non-driven end
inlet after radial axial outlet to

intercooler outlet intercooler
Axial Compressor Rotordynamics
Stability Analysis
 Main Air Compressor running with Waukesha two lobe bearings with jacking oil grooves
 1st critical speed at 17 Hz (horizontal) and 22 Hz (vertical); Nrated at 3511rpm
 Min. log dec of mode 1 at Nmcs: 0.19 (horizontal) and 0.14 (vertical)
rotor model and vertical mode shapes 1-3 damping of mode 1 vertical
Rotor shows stable behavior over entire speed range

Subsynchronous Vibrations
Mechanical Running Test and Commissioning
Mechanical Running Test run-

 A mechanical running test according to down
API617 was performed running the
compressor up to trip speed. time Nmcs
 Measurement records show no sign of Ntrip
subsynchronous vibrations at Nmcs,
start-
Ntrip or during start-up or run-down.
up
Commissioning
 During commissioning fluctuating time Nrated
subsynchronous vibrations (SSV)
were measured at Nrated.
Nrated
While MRT showed no SSV and proves good rotordynamic stability,

on-site arrangement seems to introduce SSV component.
Root Cause Analysis
ST shaft vibrations MAC shaft vibrations

time vibration
level
Train
Shut-down
frequency frequency
 A broad-band low frequency vibration component was found at various locations of the ASU-Train
arrangement. It disappeared as soon as the train was shut-down.
 An extensive root cause analysis was conducted, the most likely cause was identified to be steam
flow pulsations which coincided with strong vibrations of the live-steam piping system. No simple
solution was found to avoid these vibrations.
 Reverberations of the MAC indicate that low frequency broad-band excitation is amplified in the 1st
natural frequency. Therefore, an increase in damping of MAC should reduce SSV levels (fight the
symptom, not the cause).
Journal Bearing Design
Layout of Jacking Oil System
 MAC equipped with jacking oil (JO) system

for start up
 Backflow prevented by check valve during
normal operation
 Due to previous experience JO lines are
connected by bypass outside of the bearing
housing check valve
 Bypass valve can be opened allowing an

equalization of the pressure in both JO lines
 Two lobe bearings with two jacking oil

grooves in axial direction (at 150° and 210°)
suction pressure Q
side side
Diameter [mm] 280 315
L/D 0.7 0.7
Preload 0.52 0.52
Rel. clearance 1.38 x 10-3 1.38 x 10-3
JO grooves
Effect of Jacking Oil Bypass
Opening and Closing of Jacking Oil Bypass Valve
MAC – Shaft vibration at bearing (ST side) bypass: closed open closed
bypass open
bypass closed
Opening the JO bypass valve reduces the SSV component by up to 70% of original
level. Upon closing, SSV increase again to original level.
Effect of Jacking Oil Bypass
Influence of Jacking Oil System on Bearing Behavior
valve closed p1 ≠ p2 valve open p1 = p2

Bypass valve closed Bypass valve open
 Pressure difference between JO  Equalization of pressure in both JO lines
lines  Change in babbit pressure distribution
 Maybe oscillation of oil column in yielding different shaft eccentricity
JO line  Oil flow through bypass increases damping
coefficients of bearing
Bearing Test
Bearing Test-Rig at NRC, Ottawa, Canada
 To further investigate the phenomenon a

bearing test was carried out at the National
Research Council, Ottawa, Canada (NRC).
 The aim was to measure the influence of the

JO grooves and bypass on the static and
dynamic bearing parameters.
 Two scaled test bearings were manufactured

by Waukesha to fit into the NRC test rig:
- one bearing with JO grooves,
- one without JO grooves.
Test rig at the NRC
Bearing Test
Design of Jacking Oil System for Bearing Test
 The JO system of the test rig was built

to simulate conditions of the MAC JO lines
 Thermocouples and pressure
transducers were installed in both
JO lines to measure oil temperature thermocouples
and oil pressure
 A special procedure was used for
start-up to ensure that no air is
trapped in the JO lines
 The babbit temperature was pressure
transducer
measured at 15 locations
bypass valve
additional valves
for start-up
backflow
preventer
Bearing Test
Design of Test Bearings
Bearing 1 without JO grooves

 Test bearing geometry scaled down
from real MAC bearing oil inlet
MAC Test bearing
Diameter [mm] 315 98.56
Length / Diameter 0.7 0.7
Preload 0.52 0.52
Rel. clearance 1.38 x 10-3 1.38 x 10-3
holes for
 Test matrix represents operating thermocouples
conditions of MAC
Bearing 2 with JO grooves
speed [rpm]
Spec. load 5590 7780 10130 11300 12380
1.0 MPa x x x x x
1.5 MPa x x x x x
2.0 MPa x x x x x
2.5 MPa x x x x x
3.0 MPa x x x x x
spec. load and circumferential speed of MAC JO groove
Bearing Test Results
Oil Pressure and Temperature in JO Line
Test result: p = 1,5MPa, N = 11300rpm

(specific load and circumferential speed of MAC)
babbit babbit
Q (Q=206°)
temperature (Q=154°)
increase T154° T206°
 oil flow Ω
equalization
of pressure
JO line JO line
p150° p210°
bypass closed bypass open bypass closed bypass open
T150° T210°
 JO system and bypass behaved as expected

 Opening of bypass yields equalization of pressure and oil flow in JO line
 For some load and running speeds the pressure p210° > p150° resulting in
reversed oil flow direction
Jacking Oil Bypass Influence on Shaft Eccentricity
Bearing eccentricity for p = 1,5MPa, all running speeds
270°
0°
30° 330°
60° 300° N
90° 270°
240°
120° 240°
150° 210°
180°
bearing without JO grooves 210° bypass closed bypass open

bearing with JO grooves, bypass closed
bearing with JO grooves, bypass open
 Opening of bypass yields movement of shaft center to the inside

 Deflection caused by increased oil pressure at 210° position
Stiffness Coefficients: 1,5MPa, 11300RPM (188Hz)
bearing without
JO grooves
bearing with JO grooves
bypass closed
bypass open
 Opening of bypass yields a change in horizontal stiffness kxx

 No significant effect on vertical stiffness kyy
 No significant difference in cross coupled stiffness kxy and kyx, which can
cause rotor instability
 Change in stiffness does not explain beneficial effect of open bypass
Damping Coefficients: 1,5MPa, 11300RPM (188Hz)
bearing without
JO grooves
bypass closed
bypass open
 Opening of bypass yields significant increase in subsynchronous horizontal damping bxx

 Bypass has no significant effect on damping components byy, bxy and byx
 Increased damping verifies the observation of lower SSV of axial compressor on-site
Conclusions
Subsynchronous vibrations on an ASU Main Air Compressor
 During commissioning of an axial compressor subsynchronous vibrations were measured that
had not been observed during the mechanical test run
 An extensive root cause analysis showed that subsynchronous vibrations
- were caused by external excitation most-likely from fluctuating steam flow
- could be influenced by the JO system of the two-lobe journal bearings
 The practical problem could be solved by installation of a bypass between the two JO feed lines
Bearing test
 The phenomenon was further investigated by conducting a test on scaled test bearing in a test
rig at the NRC, Canada
 A simplified JO system was attached to the test rig to measure the effect of the bypass setting
on the bearing performance
 The test confirmed that opening of the bypass valve yields
- a pressure equalization and oil flow in the JO lines
- a change in eccentricity and
- a significant increase of the subsynchronous horizontal damping coefficient b xx
 All MAN ASU trains are running well and stable with acceptable levels of
subsynchronous vibrations.
Disclaimer
All data provided in this document is non-binding.

This data serves informational purposes only and is especially
not guaranteed in any way. Depending on the subsequent
specific individual projects, the relevant data may be subject
to changes and will be assessed and determined individually
for each project. This will depend on the particular
characteristics of each individual project, especially specific
site and operational conditions.

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Influence of Jacking Oil Grooves in Two-Lobe Bearings

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Influence of Jacking Oil Grooves in Two-

Lobe Bearings on Bearing Performance

All data provided on the following slides is for information

Train capacity = 3500 tpd O2

2 radial stages 10 axial stages Veff = 650 000 m3/h

inlet after radial axial outlet to

Rotor shows stable behavior over entire speed range

Mechanical Running Test run-

While MRT showed no SSV and proves good rotordynamic stability,

ST shaft vibrations MAC shaft vibrations

 MAC equipped with jacking oil (JO) system

 Bypass valve can be opened allowing an

 Two lobe bearings with two jacking oil

valve closed p1 ≠ p2 valve open p1 = p2

 To further investigate the phenomenon a

 The aim was to measure the influence of the

 Two scaled test bearings were manufactured

Test rig at the NRC

 The JO system of the test rig was built

Bearing 1 without JO grooves

Test result: p = 1,5MPa, N = 11300rpm

 JO system and bypass behaved as expected

Bearing eccentricity for p = 1,5MPa, all running speeds

bearing without JO grooves 210° bypass closed bypass open

 Opening of bypass yields movement of shaft center to the inside

 Opening of bypass yields a change in horizontal stiffness kxx

 Opening of bypass yields significant increase in subsynchronous horizontal damping bxx

All data provided in this document is non-binding.

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